When performing any audiovisual production it is not enough simply to take a camera, have a computer and get to record on the fly, on the contrary, it requires careful planning of all the elements that will intervene, so that complications do not arise and time is optimised as much as possible. A disorderly or unplanned production will have a great cost, both time-consuming and economic. 

While it is true that unforeseen events can always arise and that it may be the case that certain elements undergo modifications during filming, the truth is that, if a prior planning is carried out, their probability is greatly reduced. 

One of the fundamental elements to take into account, apart from others such as the budget, is the script. You have probably already heard of it with reference to movies or plays, but did you know that it also applies to any other type of video and even to sound formats such as podcasts? 

So, being practically the main basis and principle of our idea, do you really know what it is and what it iss useful for? Do you know the different types that exist? And what is more important: do you know what you should take into account to make it?

Do not worry, we are going step by step: 

What is a script? 

It is a document that gathers, in a structured and organized manner, all the details necessary for an idea to be produced. This covers not only the dialogues or descriptions of the scene, but also the shots to be made and other technical aspects. 

It is the main idea, the mother of our production, the first draft of the whole approach that the audiovisual work will follow. Answer questions like, for example, what are you going to see on screen? Are you going to listen to music, voice or both? What message are you going to convey?

For this reason, it is very important to have a good script and to create it with special consideration will be fundamental when determining the quality of the final product: if our base does not reach a certain level, we cannot expect our final video to be excellent. It is also essential that those responsible for its production know exactly what is possible to do and what is not, adjusting to the characteristics that the production will have. 

Often, scripts are accompanied by something called a storyboard. This is simply the visual representation (drawn or not) of all the shots that the video will have. However, it is not usually part of the script and it is not mandatory to have it, although in some small projects it may be included. Its use in animations is more common than in other types of productions. 

Although it is called "the script", it is usually divided into two distinguished documents, making, therefore, two distinct scripts or, what is the same: two types of scripts. 

What kind of scripts are there?

There are mainly two different types of scripts: the literary type, which usually comes to mind when we think about these types of texts, and the technical type. The latter is not well known and this is a normal thing, since it is the one that defines how the production is to be carried out. 

But first things first, it is essential to know what a literary script is to understand the nature of the technical script. 

Literary script

The literary script is the first starting point with which we will start production. It is done before even considering how it is going to be recorded since its main objective is to put order to the idea and capture how the action is going to develop from the narrative point of view. 

That is why what we are going to write are the descriptions of the scenarios, the gestures of the characters or their body attitude, the relevant physical characteristics of each of them and, of course, the dialogues and when each scene takes place. 

Although it may contain more or less literary content, it should be known that it is not, in any case, a novel or a literary work. The script serves the visual production, so it must cater to its needs. In this way, it requires a differentiated way of counting that avoids any purely literary deviation, trying to be as concrete and descriptive as possible, but without falling into excessive embellishment. 

As for the characters, it will be necessary to clearly differentiate which are the secondary and which are the main ones, as well as any psychological characteristics (in addition to the physical ones) that can help later in the performance. However, this applies only to those productions where we want to include characters: not all of them need this resource. 

Another detail to highlight is the time frame in which each scene is developed and becomes especially relevant when you want to record outdoors or indoors that do not depend on artificial light. This already helps us in determining other factors such as where to record and how (light will have to be taken into account), in addition to the hours at which we will have to perform it so that it is as faithful as possible to reality. If your scene occurs in the afternoon, recording it in the early morning light may not be appropriate. Therefore, if this is defined in the literary script, the subsequent process will be easier. 

Literary scripts admit changes in it that may arise during their reading and approval and even in the recording itself. It is not uncommon to see crossed-out scripts or changed scenes. However, once recording or in the middle of production, these changes tend to be as much as characters or details of the story are concerned, but it is unusual for them to be made on aspects that may have a substantial impact on how the production will develop, logically. 

This last fact leads us to the following type: the technical script. 

Technical script

It is done as a result of the literary script. It is when, at last, you can start to consider how you are going to record, the technique that you are going to follow and the final action that will be done. 

It usually has a structure divided into columns, where all the sequences and scenes to be performed are reflected and the shots are established for each of them, always with their respective numbering to make the management process easier. There are also included those aspects related to recording such as the angle of the shot, the movement of the camera, lighting, music or sound effects, decoration... and any data that may be necessary for the production. 

It is at this stage that the filming plan is also defined. Do you remember the literary script and its relation to the temporal aspect? This was one of the important facts. In fact, details such as where it is going to be recorded (depending on the temporal aspect), whether spotlights or natural light are going to be used, as well as the entire agenda of the team are those that are also defined as a result of the literary script, precisely because of its technical requirements, specified in the technical script. 

If, for some reason, your production has some limited time, you can always define in this script how long each sequence or scene will last on camera. 

Finally, there are technical scripts with fewer columns if production requires it. In these, one of them usually corresponds to what you are going to see and the other to what you are going to hear. They are usually used in videos that have a voice-over or locution, such as reports or institutional videos. 

Do you want to know how you can do each of these scripts? Do you work for an organisation or institution and want to start developing your own videos? On my website you will find workshops where you can learn more about audiovisual language and how to create scripts that will help you to produce. Find them out!